Tooth-regulator.



I. E. CANNING..

TOOTH REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAII. s, |911.

-1 ,27 1,850. Patented July 9, 1918.

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JOI-IN E, CANNING, OE DENVER, COLORADO.

` l TOOTH-REGULATOR.

j Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application led January 8, 1917. Serial No. 141,083.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. CANNING, citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Regulators; and I do declare the following to be a full clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andk use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for regulating or straightening teeth, my object being to provide a device of this character which shall possess a number'of advantages over devices intended to accomplish a similar' purpose and heretofore known. In these known devices nuts are employed for regulating the arch or arch band, the said nuts being utilized in connection with an'anchor bolt or a bolt which is connected with an anchor band, there beling one 0f these bolts and one of these bands at each extremity of the arch. f

In my -improvement the arch consists of a spiral spring which is wound to form a screw thread,vthe threads of the arch cooperating with a few interior threads T e spiral spring arch band is' preferably so constructed that the portion tuereof' which engages the threads of one bolt has a right hand thread while the portion thereof in engagementwith the other bolt is a left hand thread. The extremities of the arch pass through the bolt which is hollow or consists ofV a tubular member. By virtue of this construction the arch may be adjusted for tightening or loosening purposes by rotating it since it becomes, in effect, a f liexible shaft or spindle. I prefer to fashion the arch Vband in front or centrally of its length to receive a small wrench or to facilitatethe Ygrasping ofthe same by the use of a pair of pliers forthe purpose of rotating the arch. As the archis rotated it will be understood that such action produces a vdouble effect sofar as quickness of adjustment is concerned, since the tighteningor Llengthening of the bandV takes place at both extremities where vit engages the interior threads of .the bolts, Hence, the same adjustment is obtained by turning the arch band or by one turning operation, that would be obtained by adjusting a nut at each extremity of the arch band under the old practice. Furthermore, in the old forms of construction it is necessary to locate the nuts and the anchor bands well back in the mouth, thus making it difficult to gain access to these nuts for adjusting purposes; whereas with my improved construction, the part of the arch to which I apply the instrument, as a small wrench or pair of pliers for turning purposes, is located in front where it is easily accessible, thus making the work of adjusting the arch not only much quicker, but much easier as well.

It is evident that in this construction the tubular members which are directly connected with the anchor bands, may be externally screw threaded or not, as may be desired or as circumstances or convenience may dictate.

If desired, the entire arch may be so wound as to make its screw thread uniform throughout its length` as a right hand thread. This would be advantageous where itis desired to move the arch lengthwise for the purpose of tooth straightening purposes as where a ligature is connected with a tooth to be treated and it is desired to exert a pulling stress thereon in one direction or the other along the length of the arch. In this case, 'the entire action will be in one direction and uniform throughout the length of the arch, thus obviating the necessity of adjusting each end separately.

Having `briefly outlined my improvement as well as the function it is intended to subserve, I will proceed to describe thefsame in detail, reference being made to the accompanying dra-wing in which 1s illustrated ari-embodiment thereof.

In this drawing v Figure l is an elevation illustrating my improvement, the arch band belng broken to indicate indefinite length.l

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary'viewl of the arch band showing the same so wound that its Vscrew thread isl uniform throughout its length f l Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View shown on a .largery scale andpartly in section, the sec- Fig.v l is a view showing `the complete device applied to a set of teeth.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the view-s.

Let the numeral 5 designate an arch band which, as shown in Figs. 1, 8, and 2l, consists of two spiral spring members 6 and 7,the member' 6' wound to provide an exterior right hand screw thread whilev the inember 7 is wound to provide an exterior left hand screw thread. These two members 6 and 7 are' vconnected by apart 8 preferably polygonal in cross section and in which the adjacent extrem-ities of the members 6 and 7 .are anchored. This member 8 may be hollow and thel extremities of the members 6y and 7 may be anchored therein in such a manner as to form a continuous passage extending throughout the length of the arch Yand through which may be lpassed a stiften- -ing wire 9 which should be. composed of spring metal. This 'spring wire may be advantageously used in connection with the spiral spring arch for reinforcing and tension purposes, since it may be made so small that it will have great resilience and may be bent toy correspond with the bending or lateral adjustments of the arch when the latter is connected with the teeth by means of ligaturesor other devices. f

he object of part 8 is to so shape the arch at its approximate center and at the extreme front of the mouth when the arch is in Yuse to facilitate the rotation of the arch by applying a suitable instrument to Vthe member .8. This member is* preferably somewhat larger than the arch and for this reason facilitates the adjustment or-rotati'on of the latter when occasion mayrequire.

Each extremity of the arch band enters a tubular member 10 which is shown in the Y drawing "as exteriorl'y screw threaded as shown at 12 to Vengage' thel interior threads -of a sleeve 13 of 'an anchor band 14, the

other ext-reinity of the band having a plain or unthreaded sleeve 15 which engages a plain or 'u-i'ithreaded part 16 of the tubular member, one extremity of which is provided with a head or enlargement 17 which forms a shoulder 1S which the' sleeve 15 of the anchor band engages; Thistnb'i'l'lar member is provided with la few interior screw threads as shown at 19, which cooperate with the exterior threads of the spiral spring arch, the balance of the interior of the tubular member being plain for unthreaded yas shown atQO. Henceeas the arch is turned, there willpbe but little resistance where the arch 'band engages the-short interior screw threaded part 19 of each bolt, Y' Y crseqi'lfeitly the extremities ofthe arch will v turn freely in thetnb'ular' members while the jlatter'wi-lfl remain stationary, being held *against rotary movement since the resistance to the turning of the tubular members is much greater' than the resistance Adue to the engagement of the arch band with the few screw threads of these members.

In th'eform of 'construction shown in Fig. 2, the arch band 5 consists of a spiral spring wl'icl'i is uniformly screw threaded throughout j its length, its central portion being eqriipp'ed with the member Sitol facilitate rotation and consequent lengthwise adjustment.

From the foregoing descrip-tion .the use `and op'eration of my improvement will be readily understood. When the arch with right yand left h-and threads is used, the anchor ban-ds 1st will be first applied to the back teeth 21 and properly tighten-ed thereon by the adjustment of the tubular members 10 after which the extremities of the .arch band will be threaded intothe interior screw threaded portions 19 of the tubular members- This adjustment may be quickly terior threads which engage and coopera-te )with the interiorly threaded portions of the tubular members as the arch band is rotated and anchor bands mounted on said tubular members. Y

2. A tooth regulating device including interiorly threaded tubular members and y'an arch band composed of a 'spiral spring whose exterior is screwthreaded to coperate with the interior threads of the tubular members, one part of the arch band having a right hand thread and the other part, a left hand thread. Y

8. A tooth regulating 4device including an arch band composed of two connected 'spiral spring members one 'of vwhich is wound to form a right hand screw thread whilethe other is wound to form aleft hand screw thread. x

4. A tooth regulating device including an arch band composed of sprial spring havingrightV and left hand threaded parts, and tubular members having interior screw threads which coperate respectivelyy withV the oppositelythreaded parts of the arch, the latte-r having a part fast vthereon between its extremitiesand Vfashioned to -facilitate the rotation ofthe arch.

5. VArtooth regulator ofthe class described, including anchor bands reach of. which has a threadedl and an unthreaded sleeve, tubular members exteriorly threaded Vto cooperate with the threads of the sleeves `of Asaid bands andshouldered to engage the nnthreaded sleeves, andan arch band "com- Y .isoY

posed of a spiral spring Whose exterior' is screw threaded to coperate With interior threads With Which the tubular members are provided, one part of the arch band having a right hand thread and the other part a left hand thread.

6. A tooth regulator including tubular members having interiorly threaded portions, and an arch band comprising a HeXible member one end ol" Which is right hand y threaded and the other end left hand threaded, said ends engaging the p interiorly threaded portions of said tubular members, and means between the extremities of the arch band to rotate the same.

7. A tooth regulating device including tubular members an integral part of each of Which is interiorly threaded, and an arch band comprising a flexible member one end of Which 'has right hand threads and the other end left hand threads, said threads engaging and cooperating with the interiorly threaded portions of the tubular members, and anchor means mounted on said tubular members.

In testimonv whereof I affix my signature, in presence of tWO Witnesses.

JOHN E. CANNING.

Vitnesses:

OTTO E. HODDIGK, HELEN A. VILLEMAGNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent# Washington, D. C. 

